Mazzalur Uwon escorted Adakontus to the enclosure. The pale man’s face smiled, even if his mandibles could not. Thankfully, a silver mask hid his disgusting maw. Adakontus did not know the cause of his summons, but Uwon’s smug look troubled him. No doubt Amolhekai planned something terrible. The musclebound skeleton took great pains to build the enclosure, and certainly for a purpose.

  The enclosure was an octagon of eight log pillars webbed with chains, forming a fenced in area. Twelve wagons sat near the enclosure. Five were massive cages on wheels, hidden under brown canvas. The other seven were normal, open top wagons filled with barrels and crates. Adakontus recognized them. More importantly, they fit in. Made of rough wood and dark iron, the wagons were utilitarian, like the enclosure and the rest of the camp.

  Unfortunately, one object stood out like a lightning strike in a droughted grassland. A palanquin, resting on four, man-height stilts, watched over the enclosure. The palanquin frame was seamless aquamarine, as though carved from a singular, giant gemstone. Blue silk curtains obscured whoever — or whatever — was inside. Extremely luxurious and extremely foreboding, the palanquin decorated the camp like a jewel on a guillotine.

  Uwon led Adakontus to a specific corner, where a chain could be unhooked to create a gap in the fencing. Uwon fiddled with the fastenings while Adakontus peered through the chains. A sandy-furred lizard sprawled out in the middle of the space, partway buried in the chalky white dirt. The beast was bigger than a pony. It probably ate ponies.

  “Am I supposed to go in there with that?” Adakontus whined.

  Uwon’s smugness doubled.

  “What’s with that look? You can’t even understand me.” He frowned and looked at the lizard again. “Not like you need to. Bet you’re glad you’re not me.”

  Something about the lizard tickled Adakontus’ brain.

  “Is it a boy or a girl?” Adakontus asked.

  Uwon didn’t respond.

  “It was a dumb question anyway,” Adakontus muttered.

  He shut his mouth. Iron scraped on iron as Uwon unhooked the chains.

  Adakontus’ curiosity won out. “How can I explain...”

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Adakontus pointed to the lizard to his crotch.

  “Boy?”

  Uwon’s face distorted in disgust.

  “No, no, no!” Blushing, Adakontus rapidly shook his head.

  He formed an ‘O’ with his left hand.

  “Girl?”

  He held up one finger with his right hand.

  “Boy?”

  Uwon looked from one hand to the other, his mind churning. Abruptly, he doubled over and made a sound like a cicada having a seizure. Adakontus flinched, afraid Uwon would tear his mask off and bite him. Uwon shuddered and slapped his knee. He was laughing.

  When the Mazzalur regained control, he crouched down in the dirt and drew a stick figure in a skirt.

  “Daweya.”

  Next to it Uwon drew a crude lizard, little more than a triangular head with a tail and four stick legs.

  “Eskrit.”

  Next to the lizard, he drew a second lizard in a skirt.

  “Daweskrit.”

  Uwon stood up and pointed to the lizard in the enclosure.

  “Daweskrit.”

  Uwon put a hand on Adakontus’ shoulder and pushed him towards the gap. Adakontus ducked into the arena, if only to escape his embarrassment. He stopped a couple meters short of lounging creature.

  The lizard’s four, green eyes peered at Adakontus through lazy eyelids. It yawned, stretching its bright blue tongue, and wiggled out of the dirt. Adakontus nearly sprinted to the exit, but a sense of familiarity stopped him. He’d met this lizard before. It wouldn’t hurt him. He knew it.

  Adakontus walked towards the lizard, and both of them stopped within arms length. A standoff ensued as they studied each other. Adakontus wanted to rub its bumpy nose, scratch its fur, and hug it forever. He was also terrified. He felt like a lost father reunited with his young child. Emotions, all irrational, spun in Adakontus’ heart.

  He stuck out a shaky hand and touched the lizard’s snout. It grunted, and Adakontus winced, retracting his hand. The lizard froze, and Adakontus dared not move either. If it decided to kill him, he was dead. No way to outrun it. Alligators sprinted faster than men, and this thing looked much quicker than a gator. And fight it? Its bone plates would probably break a shark’s jaw. His odds stunk even with his weapons.

  It leaned forward. Adakontus braced himself. It grunted again and nuzzled his leg. Relieved, Adakontus stroked its head. The lizard moved carefully, like a family dog around a newborn. She — if daweskrit meant what Uwon implied — appeared pretty smart for a giant lizard. Dinosaur noggins contained tiny brains, right? No, the lizard was a magic dinosaur, an adorable magic dinosaur. Those were smart.

  The whole situation smelled suspicious. Adakontus guessed more mind magickery was involved. Amolhekai — or whoever ran the show — turned the other students into braindead zombies, no reason they couldn’t make a man and lizard best friends at first sight.

  Frowning, Adakontus scratched between the lizard’s nose plates. His new friend wasn’t a friend at all. She was a dangerous tool controlled, owned, and used by something else. The lizard was just like him.